Distribution Super Session presentation from 2011 HFTP HITEC Conference in Austin, Texas: Seven travel planning steps & their impact on hotel distribution strategy

1. Distribution Super Session Seven Travel Planning Steps & Their Impact on Hotel Distribution Strategy Image: Brave Heart (Flickr)

2. Session Overview Different Perspective on Distribution Hotel Distribution Challenges Discussion of Seven Step Travel Process Five Minute Presentations on Each Step Each Step Followed by Question Period June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 2 Image: Images by John 'K' (Flickr)

3. The Team June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 3 Robert Cole – RockCheetah Founder Alan Genin – Great Wolf Resorts Corporate Director of Revenue Management Ran Weerasuriya – Mammoth Mountain Director of Revenue Management Thomas Patchin – Station Casinos Senior Vice President, Interactive Marketing KurienJacob– Highgate Hotels Senior Vice President Revenue & Distribution Loren Gray – Ocean Properties Director of E-Commerce Tanya Pratt – Fairmont Raffles International Executive Director - Customer Information Systems Image: ohad* (Flickr)

4. A Different Perspective on Hotel Distribution The Focus Will Not Be On Global Distribution Systems Online Travel Agencies Private Sale Websites Group Buying XML Interfaces The Merchant Model Search Engine Optimization Mobile Web Versus Native Apps June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 4 Image: ::hap (Flickr)

5. Distribution Isn’t Just Technology Right Product in the Right Place at the Right Timethrough the Right Channel at the Right Price for the Right Guest Not Just Making a Booking – Gaining a Customer June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 5 Image: mikebaird (Flickr)

6. Customer Engagement is King June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 6 Image: Defence Images (Flickr)

7. Loyalty is Based on Values Example: jetBlue Integrity Passion Safety Caring Fun Value Drives Transactions ● Values Drive Loyalty June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 7 Image: maistora (Flickr)

8. Seven Stages of Travel June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 8 INSPIRATION (Why) SHARING (Wow) RESEARCH (What) PLANNING (How) TRAVEL (Where) VALIDATION (Who) BOOKING (When) Image: kevindooley(Flickr)

9. Six Hospitality Touch Points June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 9 Pre-Stay Post-Stay Arrival On-Property Departure In-Destination

10. Multiple Traveler Personas June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 10 Relocation Business Trip Family Vacation Romantic Getaway Solo-time Weekend with “The Guys” Conference Training Convention Image: Greything (Flickr)

11. Different Brands Should Look Different Compare the Following Six Examples Upscale Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotels Game: Guess the Brand With Logos & Names Blacked Out Question: Can a Guest Do It? Profit Only Results From Value is Created June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 11 Result: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

12. What brand is this? June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 12

13. Unique selling proposition? June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 13

14. Competitive differentiation? June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 14

15. Wait, did we repeat this one? June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 15

16. Did the sign on roof change? June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 16

17. Nicer design, but is it unique? June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 17

18. Inspiration Robert Cole – RockCheetah Founder June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 18 Image: another.point.in.time(Flickr)

19. Morgans Hotel Group June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 19

20. Morgans Hotel Group June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 20

21. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 21

22. Andre Balazs/The Standard June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 22

23. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 23

24. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 24

25. Research June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Alan Genin| Great Wolf – 25 Alan Genin– Great Wolf Resorts Corp. Director of Revenue Management Image: Great Wolf Resorts

26. 11 Indoor Water Park Resorts - 4200 Rooms 85% Transient Leisure 60% of Bookings via Brand.com 90% of Those Booking via Contact Center Are or Have Been Online Moms are Primary Researcher Limited Direct Competition Complex Value Proposition June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Alan Genin| Great Wolf – 26 Great Wolf – Background

27. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Alan Genin| Great Wolf – 27 Be Present

28. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Alan Genin| Great Wolf – 28 Be the Conduit

29. Provide Platform on brand.com Support Á La Carte Packaging Convert Customer Service Contact into Sales Opportunity Know Enough to Know When You Don’t Know June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Alan Genin| Great Wolf – 29 Don’t Control – Enable

30. Planning June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Ran Weerasuriya| Mammoth – 30 Ran Weerasuriya– Mammoth Mountain Director of Revenue Management Image: another.point.in.time(Flickr)

31. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Ran Weerasuriya | Mammoth – 31 Mammoth – Background 3rd Most Visited Ski Area US 1.3M Annual Skiers Ski Area 3,500+ acres 28 Lifts 150 Trails Open Nov-Jul 2011 Snowfall: 669” (~56ft) Guest Facilities 4 slopesidehotels 5 restaurants 7 bars 4 day lodges 22 sport/rental shops 6 on-hill snack bars/food courts/cafeterias ski & snowboard school, race department, lockers, child care Portland San Francisco San Jose 11,053ft Los Angeles

32. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Ran Weerasuriya | Mammoth – 32 Mammoth – Path to Purchase Web; MyMammoth Unaware Aware Consider Experience Advocate Key Strategies Deliver content specific to customer needs & interests throughout their planning & consideration process Leverage digital media to create engaging, memorable interactions with the Mammoth brand Align heavy-up communications with key promotional periods to drive purchase/bookings.

33. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Ran Weerasuriya | Mammoth – 33 Mammoth – Website Homepage Event & Activity-driven Content Trip Planner Airfare Lodging Tickets, Lessons & Rentals Shopping Cart Model

34. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Ran Weerasuriya | Mammoth – 34 Mammoth - MYMammoth Traveler Priority Experiencing a Destination like a Local & Getting Insider Knowledge *** When Planning a Trip 40% of travelers listened to opinions of family and friends 43% used user-generated content 27% used social media 28% used a mobile device Core objective of MYMammoth: Get paid repeat visitors to come to Mammoth Mountain more often than they are now

35. Validation Thomas Patchin – Station Casinos Senior Vice President, Interactive Marketing June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Thomas Patchin| Station Casinos – 35 Image: Red Rock Casino

36. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Thomas Patchin| Station Casinos – 36

38. Drive incremental guest visits

40. End game

42. Creation of a database

43. Drive guest(s) into properties

44. Non-Station guests

45. Additional visit from existing customersThomas Patchin| Station Casinos – 37

47. Tight integration to E-commerce platform

48. Preferences capture and growth of database

49. Growth of database across platforms and channels

50. Property specific bundled offers

51. Validation through sharing

52. Experience in on-line that drives off line conversations

53. Dining, entertainment, hotel conversations

54. Opportunities

55. How deep and broad will the messaging grow

56. Risks

57. Discounting versus long value propositionThomas Patchin| Station Casinos – 38

59. New outlet specific coupons.

60. When the quantity offered runs out, a “sold out” will appear on the coupon.

61. New purchasable coupons are changed regularly. Thomas Patchin| Station Casinos – 39

62. Booking KurienJacob- HighgateHotels Senior Vice President Revenue & Distribution June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Kurien Jacob | Highgate – 40 Image: Park Central New York

63. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Kurien Jacob | Highgate– 41 The Booking Process

65. About a month in advance – revenue manager’s perfect booking

66. Staying in June – low season in NY

67. Stay straddles a weekend – lower occupancy for business hotels

68. 2 people – will spend a lot on ancillary revenues at the hotelThis guest should qualify for ALL SORTS of special offers! Why is this problematic? 44 price points and products is quite a lot for a guest to make sense of. Three different “sales” that offer nothing different – they just kick in under different conditions The Best Available Rate is not nearly the best available rate The packages are priced way too high for them to make sense – because the room component in these rates are not discounted like the rates in the “sales” This is all IRRATIONAL to the consumer. This makes more sense to the consumer

69. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Kurien Jacob | Highgate– 43 Clear Options for Consumer

70. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Kurien Jacob | Highgate– 44 Rich Pictures in Booking Pages

71. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Kurien Jacob | Highgate– 45 Up-sell length of stay Up-sell room type, showing the price difference per night. Guarantee revenue or earn more revenue by offering stricter (advance purchase) or more liberal (last minute no-fee cancellation) reservation policies.

74. Travel June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Loren Gray | Ocean Properties – 48 Loren Gray – Ocean Properties Director of E-Commerce Image: Westin Key West

75. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Loren Gray | Ocean Properties – 49 Ocean Properties Background 140 Properties US, Canada & Caribbean Multiple Brands & Independent Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, IHG Ancillary Products Spas, Golf Courses, Ferry Boats, Restaurants

76. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Loren Gray | Ocean Properties – 50 Social Local Mobile (SoLoMo) Electric picture frames at the front desk encouraging guest to text a general or specific interest keyword for in-house discounts and communications, (make sure the first communication gives a value offer). Suggested itineraries based on categories of interest, (soft adventure / family / ecotour / cultural-historical / off the beaten pass / local unique) offering gps downloads via online or onsight, <all of this is mirrored in content in social media> Mobile based menus and click to call for service anywhere at your property, (we use it for beach and pool service) Click to call on your mobile site for concierge and dinner reservations, shuttle requests,(variation being tested is to use local twitter finder software to locate your guest without the guests needing to, good for pre-arrival locator too). QRcoded wine flights and menus Bar promotions that feature qr codes and texting to participate Early incentives to proximity check-in's Ipadinterfaced to PMS's for the lobby lizards for faster check-in and out Ipadsfor reading and web based email / gps's / ipods with music themes for concierge to check out to guests

77. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Loren Gray | Ocean Properties – 51 Promotion Technology Beverage Sales Liquor Specials (Bacardi Girls) Local Attraction In Room Samples/Tour Offer (Micro-Brewery) Guerilla Marketing Foursquare/Twitter Integration(Bar Specials)

78. Sharing Tanya Pratt – Fairmont Raffles International Executive Director - Customer Information Systems June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 52 Image: Fairmont San Francisco

79. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 53 Fairmont Hotels & ResortsEveryone’s an Original

80. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 54

81. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 55

82. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 56

83. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 57

84. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 58

85. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 59

86. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 60

87. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Tanya Pratt | Fairmont/Raffles – 61

88. Review: Seven Stages of Travel June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 62 INSPIRATION SHARING RESEARCH PLANNING TRAVEL VALIDATION BOOKING

89. Goal: MemorableTravel Experiences Creating End-to-End Travel Experiences Bill LaMacchia Sr. – LaMacchia Enterprises Exceptional Experiences & Lifelong Memories Isadore Sharp – Four Seasons Hotels Best Possible Experience at Each Moment of Truth Jan Carlzon – Scandinavian Air Systems The Travel Story Arc Henry Harteveldt – Forrester Research June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 63 Image: gtall1 (Flickr)

90. Key Take-Aways Design the End-to-End Guest Experience Know Your Customer – Personalize Know Your Competition – Differentiate Know Your Product – Customize Create the Experience – Tailor Scenarios Engage the Customer Understand Each Phase – Provide Solutions Focus on Guest Touch Points – Create Value Drive Revenues & Earn Margins – Monetize June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 64

91. June 21, 2011 – Austin, Texas HFTP HITEC ● Distribution Super Session Robert Cole | RockCheetah – 65 What Did You Think? In order to help us create/provide a better HITEC experience in the future, please take a second to fill out the short survey that will be sent to you via e-mail at the end of the day. THANK YOU for attending HITEC! Learn how HFTP membership can benefit you, visit www.hftp.org